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bioweb.sungrant.org » Technical » Biomass Resources » Agricultural Resources » New Crops » Oilseeds » Epoxy Crops

Epoxy Fatty Acid Oilseed Crops	Printer Friendly

Other potential oilseed crops include Vernonia, Stokes aster, and Euphorbia. These crops still need a substantial amount of development for commercialization, but are of significant interest because they all are potential sources of naturally occurring epoxy fatty acids. Epoxy fatty acids are currently used in several industrial applications. These include plastics, adhesives, varnishes, paints, and industrial coatings. These products are currently obtained either from chemically transforming soybean oil or from petroleum.

Vernonia
The Vernonia genus includes over 1,000 species, most of which are native to eastern Africa. Initial efforts to develop Vernonia focused on V. anthelmintica, a variety native to India. These efforts were abandoned due to excessive seed shattering. Recent efforts have focused on V. galamensis, an annual plant reaching heights of 0.2 to 2 meters in cultivated fields in the U.S.  Seeds of V. galamensis are about 30-42% oil, and 73-78% of the oil is vernolic acid. However, as is the case with many equatorial plants, V. galamensis flowering is controlled by short day lengths and thus it cannot be easily grown in the U.S. for seed production. This is because flowering does not occur until the temperature becomes too cold to support growth. Some native day-neutral species have been identified, and efforts  undertaken to create hybrids using V. galamensis that are day-length neutral and possess other desirable growth, seed yield, and seed quality characteristics. Breeding efforts are focusing on increasing the quantity of flower heads per plant, increasing seed weight and retention, and removing seed dormancy.   Little data is available on cultural management practices, since research to date has been concentrated on only a few research sites in the U.S.  Similarly, little information is available regarding seed yields. Production of V. galamensis in equatorial African countries has ranged from 1,345 to 2,494 kg/ha (1,200 to 2,200 lbs/ac), but yields of day-neutral varieties in the U.S have been lower (303 to 820 kg/ha; 270 to 730 lbs/ac). It is adaptable to areas with as little as 20 inches of rainfall (apparently rainfall pattern is more important than total rainfall). If appropriate varieties of V. galamensis can be developed, they might be suitable for production in the Southwestern U.S.

Stokes Aster
Stokes aster (Stokesia laevis) is native to the southern and southeastern U.S. It displays a substantial amount of genetic diversity, has a high seed oil content (27-44%) and the oil has a high content of epoxy fatty acids (63-79%, principally vernolic acid). Seed retention is good. Stokes aster is a perennial and does not flower during its first year of growth. A possible production approach is to intercrop Stokes aster with a summer annual crop such as soybeans, in order to obtain an economic return on the land during the first year. In limited research efforts, maximum seed yields of 1,000 kg/ha (about 900 lbs/ac) have been obtained with a viable seed production cycle of two years. Genetic and agronomic research is needed to develop this crop.

Euphorbia
Euphorbia (Euphorbia lagascae) is a drought-tolerant native of Spain whose seed contains about 45-50% oil, of which 60-65% is vernolic acid. Limited research is being conducted in Oregon, mostly with respect to management practices. Euphorbia is generally produced as an annual, but does show regrowth after harvest and might be developed as a perennial. Development efforts have been hindered due to seed shattering. No non-seed shattering wild accessions have been found, so efforts have focused on developing mutants that do not shatter.

References
Callan, E.J. and Kennedy, C.W. (1999). Cropping systems for Stokes Aster. In Perspectives on new crops and new uses (p. 262). J. Janick (ed.), Alexandria, VA: ASHS Press. Dierig, D.A.; Coffelt, T.A.; Nakayama, F.S.; and Thompson, A.E. (1996). Lesquerella and vernonia: oilseeds for arid lands. In Progress in New Crops (pp. 347-354). J. Janick (ed.), Alexandria, VA: ASHS Press. Dierig, D.A. and Thompson, A.E. (1993). Vernonia and Lesquerella potential for commercialization. In New Crops (pp. 362-367) J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.). Wiley, New York. Roseberg, R.J. (1996). Underexploited temperate industrial and fiber crops. In Progress in New Crops (pp. 60-84). J.Janick (ed.), Alexandria, VA: ASHS Press. Roseberg, R.J. (1999). Influences of breeding, selection, climate, and cultural practices on growth, harvest, and seed characteristics of Euphorbia lagascae. 1999 Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops Annual Conference, Diversity in Agricultural Markets: New Crops and New Markets. Eugene, OR: October 17-21. Roseberg, R.J. (2000). Irrigation, planting date, and weed control methods for Euphorbia lagascae seed and oil production. 2000 Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops/ New Uses Council Joint Annual Meeting. St. Louis, MO: October 15-17. Shands, H.L.; and White, G.A. (1990). New Crops in the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System. In Advances in New Crops (pp. 70-75). J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.), Portland, OR: Timber Press. Teynor, T.M.; Putnam, D.H.; Oplinger, E.S.; Oelke, E.A.; Kelling, K.A.; and Doll, J.D. (1992). Alternative Field Crops Manual. University of Wisconsin.